In recent years alternative network telephony, using a network other than the public switched telephone network (PSTN) to enable two or more parties to carry on a conversation in real time, has become increasingly popular. The advent of high-speed access to networks, such as the Internet, has further fueled this trend. Telephone functionality has been provided using personal computers (PC's) or computer workstations connected via the Internet and/or other networks, often through high-speed connections such as cable modems or digital subscriber line (DSL) connections. Telephone functionality has also been provided via cable television networks through television set top boxes, for example.
In many cases, a packet switched network protocol, such as the Internet protocol (IP) is used to provide alternative network telephony (e.g., IP telephony). Under such a protocol, the analog audio signal generated by a speaking call participant is digitized and sent via the alternative network from the sending station to the receiving station(s) in one or more data packets conforming to the applicable protocol. At the receiving end, the data typically is reassembled, if necessary, and converted back to an analog audio signal. The data is then typically delivered to the recipient via an audio output device, such as one or more speakers, a headset, or a telephone handset or other output device.
It would be desirable for cable television service providers, providers of interactive television services and/or equipment, and/or other providers or potential providers of alternative network telephony equipment and services to have a way to compete effectively with more traditional providers of long distance and/or local telephone service. Such competition may bring lower prices, better and expanded service, and more choice to consumers.
One potential obstacle to such competition is the fact that the provision of telephone service is highly regulated. For example, regulations impose certain requirements relating to “911” access to emergency services. In many cases, for example, caller identification (caller ID) functionality must be provided to enable an emergency dispatcher to whom a 911 call has been routed to determine the number from which a call was placed, and in some cases the name and/or address associated with that number. Federal, state, and local laws and regulations may impose other requirements for such calls. Satisfying such requirements for 911 calls may add unwanted complexity and cost to relying solely on alternative network telephony services for such calls.
In addition, in some cases it may be advantageous to process certain other types of calls as normal calls over the PSTN, instead of as alternative network telephony calls. For example, if a consumer contracts for local telephone service with a local telephone service provider on a flat fee for unlimited local calls, it may be desirable to process such local calls over the PSTN, rather than potentially occurring additional charges for access to and/or needlessly putting traffic on the alternative network.
Therefore, there is a need for a way to provide telephone services to consumers of such services via alternative network telephony in such a way that certain calls more advantageously processed via the PSTN may be processed automatically in that manner, while other calls are processed using alternative network telephony.